Improvement in power-looms



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIoE.

PHILO W. HART, OF STAMFORD, NEW YORK.

lMPROVEM ENT IN POWER-LOOIVIS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 57,712, dated September4, 1866.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, PHILO W. HART. ot' Stamtbrd, in the county ot'Delaware and State of New York, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Power-Looms; and I do hereby declare that the followingis afull, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, forming part ot' this specication.

This invention consists in certain means whereby, when the yarn of theshuttle of a loom breaks or gives out while the loom is in operation,the shuttle is ejected from the shuttlc-box at one side of the loom, andits place in the loom supplied by another shuttle, containing a propersupply of yarn, by an automatic operation of the loom without thenecessity of stopping it.

The shuttle-box on one end of the lay of the loom is made with an openbottom and a trap which, in case of the shuttle-Yarn giving out or beingbroken, isopened, as the lay strikes up, bythe aetion of a devicesomewhat similar to the fork and grid of the ordinary {illingstop-motion, or of other suitable character, and the shuttle then eitherdrops out or is pushed out through the bottom of the boX by means offingers attached to the shuttleboX or lay, and which are caused tooperate by a portion of the same mechanism which opens the bottom of theshuttle-box.

At the opposite side of the loom there is attached to the breast-beam orother fixed part of the loom a shuttle-box, which may be termed thespare shuttle-box,77 also having an open bottom and a movable trap, andVin which is placed a spare shuttle, which, atthe same time that theshuttle which has been in operation is ejected. or before the lay movesback again after such ejection, is delivered through the open bottom ofthe said spare shuttle-box into the shuttle-box on the corresponding endof the lay by the openin g ot' the trap at the bottom ot' the said spareshuttlebox and the action of suitable fingers, the openin g of the trapat the bottom of the spare shuttle-box and the operation of itseject-ingiingers being produced by the same mechanism as or mechanismsubstantially similar tothat which produces the opening of the trap inthe bottom of the shuttle-box on the other end of the lay and theejection of the shuttle therefrom.

To enable othersskilled in the art to apply my invention to use, I willproceed to describe it with reference to the drawings, in which- Figurel is a plan of the framing, lay, and shuttle-boxes of a loom. Fig. 2v isa transverse vertical section of the breast-beam, the spare shuttleboxand its appurtenances, and the shuttle-box on the corresponding end ofthe lay in the planes indicated by the line y y in Fig. 1, theshuttle-box being shown, however, in its position when underneath thespare shuttle-box. Fig. 3 is a transverse seetion of the shuttle-box andits appurtenances on the other end of the lay in the plane indicatedbythe line @c v in Fig. 1. Fig. is a plan view of the last-mentioned endof the lay with the shuttle-box removed. showing the movable bottom ofthe latter and part of the mechanism for operating the same. Fig. 5 is aback view of the spare shuttle-box at the corresponding end of the layand their appurtenances. Fig. 6 is an inverted plan of the spareshuttle-box. Figs. 7, S, and 9 are views of some of the details.

Similar letters and numbers of reference indicate corresponding parts inthe several figures.

A represents the framing of the loom; A', the breast-beam; B, the lay;O, the crank shaft; and D D, the connecting-rods.

' E and E are the shuttle-boxes on thel ends of the lay. The box E' maybe ot' ordinary construction, but E has an open bottom, and

there is in the portion of the lay below it van opening, b, large enought'or the shuttle to drop through. A shuttle is represented in redoutlines in the box E.

a a are two sliding plates, which form the trap at the bottom oftheshuttle-box E. These plates are litted to work one under the front andthe other under the back of the shuttlebox E, the portions of the lay infront of and behind the opening b being recessed in such manner (shownat c cin Fig. 4) as to bring the upper surfaces ot' the said platesflush with the surface of the raeeway, and make the said surfaces form acontinuation of the raceway within the shuttle-box. rIhe said plates arekept in place by means of screws d, which pass through oblique slots ee, provided in the said plates, and which are screwed into the lay, thesaid screws allowing the said plates to move inward under the openbottom of the shuttle-box and overthe opening b, as shown in Figs.1,3,and 4,) far enough to support the shuttle while in the shuttle-box.

Under the inner end of the shuttle-box E a plate, f, is fitted to slidetransversely thron gh the lay, and in this plate (of which Fig. 8 is adetached plan view) there is an upwardlyprojecting pin, a', which entersa bent slot, g, in a plate, h, arranged between the plate j' andthetrap-plates a a. This plate li, of which Fi g. 7 is a detached planview, is fitted to slide within the lay lengthwise of the shuttle-box,and it is connected with the plates a a by means ot' two pins or screws,z' t', passing through transverse slots j j in the latter plates. Aspring, k, attached to the back of the lay, presses the platef forwardin such manner as to bring its pin n' up to the front end of the bentslot g ofthe plate h, and so press the latter plate toward the center ofthe loom, and thereby to press the trap a a in the same direction; andwhile the latter plates are pressed in this direction their obliqueslots c c, guided by the stationary screws or pins d d, are caused tohold the said plates with their inner edges farenough under the openbottom of the shuttle-box and over the opening b in the lay, as shown inFig. 4, to form the continuation of the raceway within the shuttle-boxand support the shuttle.

Pressure applied against the front end of the plate f forces itbackward, and causes such movement of the pin u in the slot g of theplate h as to move the latter plate and the trap-plates a a toward theend ofthe lay, and in this movement of the trap-plates a a the obliqueslots e c and guide pins or screws d d cause them also to move outwardfrom the shuttle-box in such manner that they will be entirely withdrawntherefrom, and leave the shuttle free to drop through the opening b inthe lay.

F is a rock-shaft arranged at the back of the lay below the shuttle-boxE and parallel therewith in bearings l attached to the lay. Thisrock-shaft has projecting from its under side apin, m, which enters ahole in the transverse sliding plate f, und has also attached to it twolong curved lingers, u u, which are caused, by the movement oftherock-shaft, produced by the action of the plate fon the pin m when thesaid plate is pushed back, to be depressed into vthe shuttle-box for thepurpose of pushing out the shuttle therefrom and through the opening bin the lay. The ends of the said lingers are not brought into contactwith the top of the shuttle until'after the plate has moved back farenough to open the trap aa, and when the pin n' in the said plate hasarrived in the forward part of the bent slot g in the plate h, which isparallel with the sliding movement of the plate f. The spring k,

when there is no pressure on the front end of the plate j', holds thesaid plate back in such a position that, by its action on the pin m ofthe rock-shaft, it holds the fingers u u, with their extremities, somedistance above the shut tie-box.

The pushing back of the plate fto open the trap of the shuttle-box E andbring the tingers n n into operation to eject the shuttle when its yarnhas given out or broken may be effected in various ways; but I propose,generally, to effect it by a modiiied arrange ment of the forked leverand grid ot' the ordinary filling-stop motion, the grid being arrangedin the usual position on the lay ofthe vloom, and the said forked leverbeing secured to a rock-shaft attached to and parallel with the back ofthe breast-beam, and the said rockshaft being furnished with a bent arm,which, until the shuttleyarn has given out or been broken, is lifted upout of the way of the forward end of the sliding plate f by the pressureof the yarn against the fork of the lever, but which, when the yarn hasbroken or given out, is allowed to drop in front of the said plate, sothat when the lay beats up the said plate comes in contact with the saidarm, and

is thereby pressed back relatively to the lay, and caused to open thetrap and operate the fingers n n, and thereby eject the shuttle from theshuttle-box E, into which it had just entered. The ejected shuttle dropsfrom the lay onto a shelf, G, attached to the framing of the loom in asuitable position.

I is the spare shuttle-box, arranged upon two xed brackets, J J, whichproject backward from a portion, A, of the breast-beam, which isextended beyond the opposite side of the loom to that on which theshuttle-box E is arranged, and in front of the shuttle-box E. This spareshuttle-box I, having an open bottom, is so far elevated that theshuttle-box E passes under it, as shown in Fig. 2, every time the laybeats up. It is so fitted to ways on the horizon tal upper surfaces ofthe brackets J J as to be capable of a limited movement in a backwardand forward direction.

g, Figs. l, 2, and 6, is the trap at the bottom of the spa-reshuttle-box, consisting of a llat horizontal plate extending the wholelength ot' the said shuttle-box, and attached to its bottom in rear ofthe opening therein by means of two screws, r r, passing through obliqueslots ss, Fig. 6, in the said plate and screwing into the shuttle-box.This trap or plate has oblique ends, which work between two stationaryoblique guides, t t', secured to the under sides of the brackets J J insuch manner as to produce, by the limited backward and forward movementof the spare shuttle-box on the said brackets, such a movement of thesaid trap or plate as will cause it to project a short distance underthe opening in the bottom of the spare shuttle-box, as shown in l, 2,and 6, to support the spare shuttle placed therein, or to be withdrawnfrom under the said openin g to permit the passage of the said shutrtlethrough the said opening. The spare shut- Vot' a spring, n, attached tothe part Al of the breast-beam, and when the said shuttle-boxis in thisposition the oblique guide t, Fig. 6,

`holds back the trap q in the position represented, in which it willsupport the spare shutt e.

K is a horizontal rock-shaft, arranged parallel with the spareshuttle-box and the breastbeam in bearings o c, attached to the front ofthe said shuttle-box, and carrying two fingers, w w, for pushing ont thespare shuttle from the said shuttle-box into the shuttle-box E on thelay, in case of the said shuttle failiilg to drop out quick enough whenthe trap q is opened. rlhis rock-shaft has also secured to it anupwardly-projecting pin, z, which enters a hole in a iixed arm, L,attached to the breast-beam, and thereby produces the necessary movementof the lock-shaft and ngers to eject the shuttle from the spareshuttle-box when the latter is pushed forward on the ways and its trapopened, as will be presently described.

When the spare shuttle-box is held back by the spring u, as representedin the drawings, the arm L holds the rock-shaft- K and its fingers w win such position that the latter will permit the spare shuttle to beinserted into the said shuttle-box.

M, Figs. 1, 2, and 5, is a flat plate attached to the back of theshuttle-box E' on the lay by means of two screws, 12 12, Fig. 5, passingthrough oblique slots 13 13 in the said plate and screwing into the saidshuttle-box. This plate M has two upward projections, 14 14, on itsupper edge, arranged opposite to two small plates, 15 15, which areattached rigidly to the back of the spare shuttle-box l, and whichproject downward slightly below the bottom thereof. The said plate M hasa rigidly-attached pin, 16, Fig. 5, projecting downward from its endwhich is nearest the center ofthe loom, and this pin enters a bent slot,17, in a fiat plate, N, of which Fig. 9 is a detached plan view, andwhich is fitted to slide back and forth transversely through the lay B.Below the said plate N the said pin 16 passes through'a fixedsteadying-guide,18, attached rigidly to the back of the lay. By abackward and forward movement of the plate N its bent slot 17 is causedso to act upon the pin 16 as to produce a longitudinal movement of theplate M, and in the longitudinal movement ofthe latter plate the slots13 13, moving on the screws 12 12, cause it to have also an upward anddownward movement, by which the extremities of the projections 14 14 arecaused to be projected above and drawn below the top of the shuttle-boxE'. A spring, 20, Figs. 1 and 2,'attached to the back of the lay,presses against the rear end of the plate N in such manner that whensaid pressure is unopposed by pressure at the front end` it holds thesaid plate forward in such a position that its slot 17, acting on thepin 16, keeps the plate M down in the position shown in Fig. 5, with itsprojections below the plates 15 15 on the back of the spare shuttlebox.

The rock-shaft hereinbefore mentioned as attached to the back of thebreast-beam, and carrying the forked lever which operates, in connectionwith the grids on the lay, to effect the ejectionof the shuttle from theshuttlebox E, is extended to a sufficient length toward the opposite endofthe breast-beam to carry an arm situated opposite the plate N. Thisarm is lifted up out of the way of the plate N by the action of the yarnof the operating shuttle on the fork of the lever every time the laystrikes up, until the yarn ofthe said shuttle is broken or gives ont.,and consequently the shuttle-box E passes under the spare shuttle-box lwithout disturbing it; but when the said yarn is broken or gives out,and at the same time as the shuttle is ejected from the shuttle-box E,as hereinbefore described, the last-mentioned arm on the rock-shaft, notbeing lif'ted, drops in front of the plate N, and as the lay strikes up,the front end of the said plate N coming in contact with the said plate,pushes it back relatively to the lay, and thereby causes the plate M tobe lifted up by the action of the slot 17 on the pin 16, and theprojections of the latter plate are thereby caused to project highenough above the shuttle-box E to come in contact with the plates 15 15of the spare shuttle-box I, which is thereby driven forward a shortdistance upon the brackets J J, while the shuttle-box E' is below it.This forward movement of the spare shuttle-box I carries the trap qforward along the oblique surface of the guide t', and produces thenecessary longitudinal and backward movement of the said trap,relatively to the said shuttle-box, to withdraw the said trap from underthe opening inv the bottom of the said shuttle-box, and thereby permitthe spare shuttle to drop therefrom into the shuttle-box E', which isthen directly under the spare shuttle-box and ready to receive theshuttle. As the spare shuttle-box moves forward the action of thestationary arm L upon the pin z of the rock-shaft K produces thedownward movement of the lingers w w, by which the spare shuttle, incase it does not drop out, is ejected from the spare shuttle-box intothe shuttle-box E, where it is in readiness to be driven through thewarp by the next action of the picker on that side of the loom. A fullshuttle having its yarn drawn out to a proper length from the eye isthen placed as a spare shuttle in the spare shuttle-box, and while theoperation of the loom proceeds without having ceased, the last-mentionedshuttle is ready to be deposited inthe shuttle-box E when required,inthe saine manner as above described with reference to the shuttlepreviously contained in the spare shuttle-box.

The forward movement of the spare shuttlebox, above described, and thereturn movement eii'ected by the spring u, are necessary not merely forthe purpose of effecting the operation ot' the trap and tin gers of thesaid shuttie-box. but to keep the said shuttle-box long enough over theshuttle-box- E to insure the .delivery of the shuttle into the latter.

3. The spare shuttle-box I, attached to the breast-beam or framing ot'the loom, having a movable trap at its bottom and operating incombination With a shuttle-box having a movable trap at its bottom onone side of the lay, substantially as and for the purpose hereindescribed.

4. The combination of the spare shuttle-box, Working on xed brackets J Jor their equivalent, attached to the breast-beam or other fixed portionof the loom, the rock-shaft K, carrying the fingers w w, and furnishedwith a pin, z, and the stationary arm L, the Whole operatingsubstantially as herein set forth.

5. The sliding-plates N M, in combination with each other, with the layand one of the shuttle-boxes thereon, and with the spare shuttie-box,substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

PHIL() W. HART. 4Witnesses:

DANIEL C. TrBBALs, HENRY T. BROWN.

